Cypriot Police Raid Suspected Online Gambling Operations

Not so long ago Cypriot gambling laws changed for the worse banning all online gambling on the Mediterranean island. The ban supported by few and opposed by many, was nevertheless made into the law and is now actively imposed by the country’s police force.

The island’s law enforcement agencies recently carried out a whole series of raids against alleged operators of online casinos in Cyprus. Despite all the efforts, the police only managed to seize an unimpressive number of 17 computers and some petty cash, which only suggests they didn’t cross any large-scale operations during their raids.

The police made a point to stress to the media that the raids were a part of government’s program in support of the new gambling regulations, which ban all sports betting establishments on the island from providing online gambling facilities to their customers.

A police spokesperson told Cyprus gambling news: “A broad scale operation was launched by members of the police island-wide in the evening, aimed at implementing and maintaining the new legislation that was enforced recently involving the gambling law and online betting.”

He went on to add: “Such campaigns will continue with the aim of strictly implementing the law.”

During the raids, for which agents possessed the necessary search warrants, officers looked through seven betting shops and terminals, arrested nineteen people including establishment’s employees and players.

It remains to be seen just how successful the ban would be implemented; and what good will the lack of gambling taxes do for the country’s cash-strap coffers. It seems extremely strange for the country in desperate need of cash to voluntarily decline tax revenue.